RaiderInBlue47

Hi all, looking to start weaning myself off of my car this summer. Two situations are left to cover: Night Riding and Rain.

I'm planning on getting some lights and instead of panniers I'm going to be using a Timbuk2 messenger bag that's reflective, so I should be pretty well avoidable.

As for the rain goes, I do not have a rain jacket. What would you recommend?

I have a North Face fleece jacket and LOVE it. Best jacket I've ever owned, so I've been looking primarily at North Face. But if you have another suggestion, I'm game.

I see these two as my top choices I believe.
https://www.rei.com/product/810180/th...ke-jacket-mens
https://www.backcountry.com/the-north...re-jacket-mens

Any other suggestions? Keep in mind that I'm 18 and I'm here to impress the ladies.

As for my fenders question, I plan on getting a Windsor Tourist which has fork eyelets. However, my commuting load will be shared by an old 80s Ross that I've converted to SS. No fork eyelets. What would you suggest as my best option for fenders? It's on 27" Wheels, so I'm not sure if 700c fenders will work or not.

Thanks! If I have any other questions as I'm jumping into this, I'll be sure to ask away.

Seattle Forrest

I love my Arc'teryx accelero jacket. It's highly water resistant and breathes like cotton, but it's not waterproof. I have a (much more expensive) goretex jacket, but only wear it on the bike when it's frigid or there's a downpour that won't let up. Otherwise, it's too warm. The accelero lets some of the breeze through, like air conditioning, and takes about an hour to soak through, so it will keep me dry for a commute, but not a weekend ride.

tarwheel 

Around here (NC), you would burn up wearing most rain jackets during the summer. I just bought a Castelli Leggero jacket for occasions when I get caught in the rain during the warmer months. I chose it over other brands because it is extremely light weight and packable and is supposed to be very breathable. It is not waterproof, however, but water resistant. In my experience, wearing a waterproof jacket in the summer in the Southeast would be like cycling in a steam bath.

MK313

I'm a big fan of Mountain Hardwear & goLite stuff. My rain jackets are the GoLite Ion & Mountain Hardwear Quark jackets (both now discontinued, but both great jackets & I think the Quark looks pretty good too). I think that for looks, you will find that the more generic outdoors brands will be more stylish than the bike-specific brands. (Nothing against bike specific stuff, there are some really great products out there, but they tend to be less style-focused, especially when off the bike). eVent material is the current 'state of the art' in waterproof/breathable materials. Not sure if HyVent is the same stuff, but jacket #1 from your list looks like a decent one, although I have not specific experience with it.

scroca

Why do you need a jacket for summer rain? Do what I do: take your shirt off and store it in a waterproof bag and wear sandals without socks. Put on dry stuff when you get where you are going.